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He heard that Ariel had fallen down the stairs and had a big scar on her face.
Gabriel came home late at night, belatedly heard the news of Ariel’s accident, and stressed to servants that they should take good care of her.
The air in the house grew dim. However, Filina remained unconcerned in this atmosphere and read a book in her bedroom.
She could hear the footsteps of the servants bustling around outside, but she just flipped through the book nonchalantly as if it didn’t bother her in the slightest.
A small knock sounded in the quiet bedroom.
“Sister, it’s Bruno.”
Filina answered without taking her eyes off the book.
“Come in.”
Bruno heard her voice and stepped in the bedroom, remaining silent for a moment.
Filina sipped the chamomile tea that Laura had made for her without taking her eyes off the book.
The only sound in the desolate air was the sound of her setting down the teacup.
Filina asked in a casual voice,
“What can I do for you?”
Bruno’s expression hardened as he watched her, looking very disappointed that she didn’t look at him.
“…Ariel is badly injured.”
Only then did Filina’s beautiful eyes turn to him. She smiled faintly through her dry gaze at Bruno.
“So what?”
She spoke coldly, and Bruno bit his lower lip gently. In the silence, Bruno’s heavy voice spread.
“How can sister be so insensitive?”
He curled his hands into a tight grip and continued to speak in a suppressed voice.
“Is it because Ariel is not your real sister?”
Filina smiled chillingly at Bruno’s words with a look of amusement on her face .
“Are you unhappy that I’m not worried about Ariel?”
At her question, Bruno lowered his gaze and spoke in a low voice.
“…From the start, sister didn’t like Ariel very much.”
“…”
“And I know you don’t like me either.”
Bruno stared at her with cold eyes while Filina, who was staring at him, said with a light smile.
“It’s a relief that you know it well.”
Bruno’s face turned cold at her words. Filina, who was watching him with a cold stare, tilted her head at an angle.
“Do you want me to be nice to you?”
Bruno did not answer. As if to mock him, a thin laugh escaped from between Filina’s lips.
“Do you really want me to be nice to her? Without even a single drop of blood mix?”
“I’m just…”
Bruno tried to excuse himself to Filina with an angry look on his face. But she interrupted him and spoke in a cold tone.
“Too greedy.”
“Sister.”
“Your parents’ attention is enough. If that’s not enough, then deal with it. But don’t ask for my affection.”
Filina leisurely brought the teacup on the table to her lips. The warm tea descended down her throat.
She looked at Bruno and spoke again.
“I’m sorry, but no matter how much you guys struggle to get my attention, I won’t care.”
“…”
“So don’t waste your time on useless things.”
Filina had already given up all hope of being loved by her family in her past life.
This time, Ariel foolishly fell down the stairs on her own and craved attention from her family, but Filina had done many more heinous things in the past.
For example, she (Filina) dipped her hand directly into the hot water and burned herself.
Then she acted as if she was jealous of Ariel and deliberately poured hot water on her.
Every time she did that, her family would tell her to stop messing with Ariel, but the one hated her the most was Bruno.
He always looked at her with hateful eyes.
So the sight of him coming to her and muttering that she didn’t care about Ariel was a very strange sight to her. It was ridiculous and confusing.
When Filina glanced at the door as if telling him to leave, Bruno’s face turned cold.
When he opened the door, he saw Enoch outside the door as if he was about to come in. Enoch dropped the hand that was about to knock and stepped back.
Bruno stopped and stared blankly at Enoch, then walked on.
“Enoch.”
At the sound of Filina’s voice, Enoch turned his gaze which was staring at Bruno’s back, and entered her room.
Seeing the longsword in his hand, Filina sat up with a bright expression and approached Enoch.
“So this is the sword I asked you for, I know the picture didn’t give you enough information, but you still managed to make it.”
Filina carefully grabbed the longsword that Enoch held out to her.
Clank!
She tapped the floor with the sword, and the sound of the sharp blade echoing through the bedroom.
“It’s worth the money. It’s certainly much lighter than the old sword, and the blade looks strong.”
It didn’t look much different from the one Leon had been using, but when she tried to swing the sword, the high-grade silver blade looked much sharper.
‘If only I could give this to Leon safely, everything would be perfect………’
Of course, compared to the real longsword Leon’s father gave him, this sword, which was the same only in appearance, didn’t add much significance.
But this was the best she could do for Leon.
“Lady Filina.”
Enoch called to her in a low voice. Filina, who had been looking down at the sword in her hand, raised her head and looked at Enoch.
Enoch opened his mouth as he stared at the sword in Filina’s hand.
“You said that the sword was to be given to your dear friend, didn’t you?”
Filina nodded at Enoch’s indifferent voice.
“Yes, that’s right.”
He stared silently at Filina for a moment as she replied lightly.
He could see her tilting her head with a strange look on her face.
Then he took his sword from his waist and held it out to Filina.
“I understand that Lady Filina has not yet decided on a sword to take to the academy………. I would like you to accept my sword.”
Filina opened her mouth with a startled look on her face.
“Enoch, I don’t need to use a sword right now, and you know this because you went to the academy, but an apprentice knight can’t use a sword recklessly.”
Entering the Swordsmanship Academy did not mean that one would become an official knight right away.
At first, one had to enter as an apprentice knight to gain basic training and knowledge, and only after passing the advancement examinations held every three months at the academy could one be appointed as an official knight.
When you are promoted for the first time as a trainee knight, you will receive the title of plain knight type 1. There are up to 5 types of regular knights, and the rank can be confirmed by the silver star-shaped badge attached to the uniform.
If you are an apprentice, the first time you advance to the next level, you will be given the title of Plain knight type 1. There were up to a total of five types of common knights, and their rank could be confirmed by the silver star-shaped badge on their uniform.
If you advance one level up from the 5th level, you become a Deputy Knight Commander 1. This was a total of two ranks, and the badge was golden in color.
The highest rank, Commander of the Kingsguard, had only one badge, which was in the shape of a red star.
Currently, Andra Weaver was the Commander of the Kingsguard.
Filina would be an apprentice knight once she entered the academy, so the badge did not exist.
In addition, an apprentice knight was not officially recognized as a professional knight, so she could not use a sword without permission.
Enoch made eye contact with Filina and opened his mouth.
“Apprentice knights are not allowed to use swords, but they can wear them.”
Filina replied with a frown at Enoch’s words.
“Why should I carry something around if I can’t use it? It’ll be more noticeable to people.”
“Because the academy is class-based, trainee knights and even lowly rank knights are ignored. Moreover, there are mostly men, so if you are not prepared for this, no one knows what will happen.”
Enoch, who was holding his sword, clenched his fist tightly.
“Since Lady Filina wishes to enter the Swordsmanship Academy, I have no choice but to help her, but ……… I’m actually still quite nervous. I can’t be there, but if anything happens, who will be there to protect Lady Filina…… “
Enoch kept his gaze down, bit his lower lip and his hand holding his sword was shaking as if to let her know how he felt.
Filina wondered what to say when she saw Enoch like that.
He seemed unconcerned in the morning and congratulated her, but that wasn’t all.
She didn’t expect him to be so worried about her……….
Filina spoke with a soft smile.
“I don’t know about anything else, but I think I chose one excellent knight.”
Enoch stared at her quietly. Filina, who raised her lips beautifully while looking at him, said in a calm voice.
“Enoch, do you remember what you said to me when I first met you?”
Enoch’s gaze deepened at her words. Filina’s low voice echoed through the quiet space.
“You will protect me to the best of your ability.”
“…”
“Then I will also protect you with all my might.”
A breath came out faintly from between Enoch’s lips.
How could he forget those words?
The words he said while looking at Filina with eyes more intense than light.
It gave him a strange feeling that maybe, just maybe, she really would protect him too…
Normally, it was the knights who should say those words to their masters. But she promised him, the first time they met, that she would protect him too.
The scene was strongly etched in Enoch’s mind, and still remained a vivid memory.
Filina opened her mouth with a small voice.
“That promise is still valid.”
“….”
“I will become so strong that I will go further from protecting myself to protect even those I care about.”
She smiled beautifully and continued, “So believe in me and wait for me. I will definitely come back as a strong person.”
The look on Filina’s face as she said this was strangely similar to the look she had when she first met him.
“I will protect you too,” she said proudly, her voice echoing like a hallucination.
A strange sense of trust came to him.
He felt a kind of unfounded certainty that Filina could handle anything.
Enoch could only nod with a small smile.